An oId ruined castle is very likely to be tenanted
by the Barn Owl, whose nightly shrieks have so often terrified the belated
wanderer, and made him fear that the place was haunted by disturbed spirits.
The Barn Owl is very broadly spread and
occurs in America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. This owl is approximately
35 centimetres in size, with a Wingspan of around 93 cm and a weight of
about 315 grams. The head of this owl is large, with a whitish, heart-shaped
facial disc. Its legs are long covered with white feathers
and provided with powerful claws. Its orange and gray brown back is strewn
with small white spots, and its white breast piece is strewn with brown
spots.
It goes hunting at night in cultivated
expanses or in meadows to capture shrews and small rodents like field mice
there. More rarely it feeds on weasels or rabbits, as well as small
birds or bats. During hunting the barn owl can fly particularly
low, yet still making hardly any sound as it swoops and flies, due to its
specially designed feathers - natural stealth technolgy from the owl world!
In general, the female barn owl lays from 4 to 7
eggs which measure from 34 to 44 mm by 30 to 33 mm. She broods
them from 30 to 32 days, and the young birds leave the nest after about
55 days.
